A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Appendix

Qantassaurus
Taxon: Ornithopoda Hypsilophodontidae
Name means: “QANTAS lizard”
Pronounced: KWAHN-tuh-SAW-rus
Length: about 6.5 ft (2 m)
Time: Early Cretaceous, c. 144 – 99 mya
Place: Australia

Because QANTAS Airlines helps to fund dinosaur research and exhibitions in Australia, this small hypsilophodont was named in that company’s honor in 1999. This little biped was also nicknamed “Intrepidus” for the survival spirit of a small dinosaur living in a Mesozoic polar region. Known only from a skull bone with at least one tooth intact, Qantassaurus had a shortened jaw, unlike the longer snouts of other known Australian hypsilophodonts such as Atlascopcosaurus.

Qinlingosaurus
Taxon: Sauropoda
Name means: “Qin Ling lizard”
Pronounced: chin-ling—SAW-rus
Length: Large
Time: Late Cretaceous, c. 99 – 65 mya
Place: China

An enormous pelvis and a handful of other fossil remains led Chinese scientists to name this large plant-eating sauropod “Qinlingosaurus,” after the mountains of the ShaaNzi Province in China. Like the other long-necked sauropods, Qinlingosaurus had a small head, a long tail, and walked on four powerful, pillar-like legs. The genus was named in 1996.

Quaesitosaurus
Taxon: Sauropoda
Name means: “extraordinary lizard”
Pronounced: kway-SEE-tuh-SAW-rus
Length: about 75.5 ft (23 m)
Time: Late Cretaceous, c. 85 – 80 mya
Place: Mongolia

Only the skull of this plant-eating sauropod has been found. This is quite unusual, as the fragile skulls of those titanic long-necked dinosaurs are rarely preserved. Not only were sauropod skulls extremely delicate compared to their massive bones, but they may have been a Mesozoic delicacy for predators and scavengers as well. The skull of Quaesitosaurus strongly resembles that of another sauropod of the southern Gobi, Nemegtosaurus, but features a much narrower snout and a distinctive inclined canal at the back of the skull. This large groove suggests that Quaesitosaurus may have had an excellent sense of hearing. Quaesitosaurus was named in 1983.